The spokesperson for the Commissioner’s Office of the Chinese Foreign Ministry in the HKSAR strongly disapproved the “2023 Trafficking in Persons Report” released by the US State Department, which sugarcoated the US itself and attacked other countries, maliciously vilified China and the HKSAR, and distorted the national security law. The report, full of political bias, used human rights as a tool to stigmatize others and had no credibility at all!

The spokesperson pointed out that since the implementation of the national security law, Hong Kong has been back to normal with its rule of law safeguarded and justice upheld. Hong Kong has once again become one of the safest cities in the world, and the legitimate rights of its citizens have been better protected. The national security law provides a solid foundation and guarantee for normal exchanges and cooperation between the SAR Government and all sectors of society, including non-governmental organizations. Turning a blind eye to the facts, the United States continued to smear the national security law by hyping the issue of trafficking in persons. Its self-hypnosis fully illustrates what is meant by “you can never awaken a person who is pretending to be asleep”.

The spokesperson said that year after year, the US side ignored the facts and concocted misleading reports on the issue of human trafficking to deceive the world. The United States is the largest country of human trafficking in the world. The US State Department estimates that as many as 100,000 people are trafficked from abroad to the United States for forced labor each year. But since 2011, the United States has always classified itself as a "first-class country". No matter how the US conceals facts, it cannot whitewash its historical sin of being a “slave trading country”. No matter how the US defends itself, it cannot change its status of being an origin, transit and destination country of forced labors. Given such a record and fact, how can the United States lecture others and confuse right and wrong by smearing others?

The spokesperson pointed out that the US side should examine itself with its boasted "highest standards" instead of judging and smearing others. We urge the US side to change course, stop interfering with Hong Kong affairs and China’s internal affairs in any form and under any pretext, stop slandering the rule of law and human rights situation in Hong Kong, and stop indulging in self-directed and self-acting political farce.